RADIO POLICY

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 22197, 26 August 1935, Page 13

RADIO POLICY

B CLASS STATIONS DEMAND FOR CHANGE FRIENDLY ROAD'S FUTURE SUGGESTION OF CLOSING A statement that unless the policy toward B class broadcasting stations was changed and revenue from advertising allowed, the Friendly Road station, IZB, would bo closed, was made by the Rev. C. G. Scrimgeour at a welcome home meeting tendered to him in the Town Hall last night. Mr. Scrimgeour returned from Sydney by the Mariposa ou Saturday. Every seat in the Town Hall was occupied before the start of the meeting and latecomers were accommodated in the concert chamber, where loud-speakers were installed. A number of people were unable to gain admittance. The first part of the meeting was in the nature of a religious service and was broadcast. Then, in announcing that the proceedings were going off the air, Mr. Scrimgeour said that for months everything said by him and others over the air had b'een taken down and submitted, by those paid to do it. ta Wellington. If there was any infringement they received a letter about it. Question oI Copyright "The copyright situation," said Mr. Scrimgeour, " could be solved in a moment by the Broadcasting Board, which, ostensibly at least, is supposed to represent listeners' opinion and to govern broadcasting for those listeners. The board could to-night, if it had the will to do it, save us from any worry about copyright records or anything else." The copyright owners were perfectly reasonable, the speaker added. The record makers also had a claim which should be met. This was a chance for the Broadcasting Board to prove that it represented the listeners of the Dominion. It could to-morrow extend a privilege to the B stations which would prevent any further worry whatsoever. "Unless the B station policy is changed, before or after the election, and advertising revenue allowed," said Mr. Scrimgeour, "IZB is' going off the air finally and for ever, and I am going to kiss good-bye to the things I have loved and jvorked for, and the land where I was born, and never come back. I have stood as much as I can." "I Want to Serve" Mr. Scrimgeour referred to pin-prick-ing and said he wished he could show his listeners the station files. Ho appealed to them to assist in remedying the situation. He asserted that the Friendly Road was not a political organisation. He suggested that representatives of the political parties be invited to attend a meeting and make a definite statement as to their policy in the matter of broadcasting. "I want to serve, not to fight," Mr. Scrimggpur added. If he had to waste nine-tenths of his energy in fighting ho was not going to stand it, nor ask the people to maintain a station when, in other countries, they got ten times more than they did in Jsew Zealand and did not pay as much. REPLY TO MINISTER DEFENCE OF B STATIONS "The Postmaster-General is again trying to draw a red-herring across the scent with regard to the necessity for the existence of B stations in New Zealand," said the Rev. C. G. Scrimgeour, of the Friendly Road station, IZB, afc the week-end, in reply to the statement attributed to the Minister in Christchurch. "He repeats his .hackneyed phrase about the whole case being a question of an economic broadcasting service. "The Minister refers to the number of B stations existing in New Zealand and states that we must consider how many stations New Zealand can afford and that wo must agree against overcrowding," Mr. Scrimgeour added. "This is only an excuse to divert the people's attention from the real causo, which is linked up with the question of advertising. The Minister has made it an excuse that, as we follow the 8.8.C., which has no B stations and no advertising, there is no necessity for it in New Zealand. "This idea of following the 8.8.C. is sheer humbug. The conditions existing in New Zealand are entirely ent from those in Britain. In Britain there are about 7,000,000 licenceholders, providing an enormous revenue. There is also unlimited talent which can be purchased with the unlimited funds available. If a British listener wants an alternative programme in addition to the national or regional programme, he can tune-in literally dozens of first-class European stations within the radius of a few hundred miles, and choose tho programme to his liking. Limitations in Dominion "In New Zealand tho position h exactly the opposite. We have only about 150,000 the revenue is comparatively small, and, with due respect to local artists who are willing to give of their best, tho talent available is severely limited. We have no neighbourly countries within a radius of a few hundred miles to which we can tune-in for alternative programmes. This makes the B stations an absolute necessity to provide the variety and alternative programmes. "The only section of the 8.8.C.'s programme worthy of our following as a model is the one activity that tho New Zealand broadcasting authorities have not followed. I refer to the broadcasting of controversial subjects, which is fully permitted in Great Britain so long as it is kept within the bounds of decency. This is the very thing that the New Zealand broadcasting authorities have deliberately refrained from giving to the New Zealand public. Apparently the intelligence of the average New Zealand listener is of such a low standard that they cannot be trusted to hear the other side of the case.

Australian System Gommendett "When local members of the Broadcasting Board were approached recently by representatives of listeners' associations the deputation was received with courtesy, but was told that the matter was still under consideration, If we follow the model of the 8.8.C., why the hesitating so long? I think there is another reason for this. The reason is that the Government cannot face the criticism over the air between now and December. ''lt seems that the 8.8.C. policy which we should not follow, we do follow, and the policy which wo should follow, we do not follow. That is why I applied the term 'humbug' to tho Postmaster-General's remarks. It has been obvious to me for many years, and since my visit to Australia my opinion has been doubled and trebled. The Australian system is far more adapted to our requirements than any 8.8.C. system."